Trump Cools On Background Check Push In Recent Lawmaker Conversations, Says CNN
President Donald Trump has been cooling to the idea of supporting new legislation for stricter firearm background checks in recent conversations with lawmakers, congressional and Republican sources tell CNN.
Trump frequently publicly supported new background check legislation shortly after two back-to-back mass shootings earlier this month. But now, the President’s interest in pursuing the issue appears to be waning.
After a week at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and with the conversation around Dayton and El Paso shrinking, Trump has — at least publicly — scaled back his emphasis on even modest reforms to the nation’s gun laws. Instead, the President focused almost exclusively on the issue of mental health, which is a more palatable conversation among the President’s base of supporters than imposing new hurdles to the purchase of firearms in the US.
Trump’s shift away from background checks comes amid conversations with Republican Rep. Mark Meadows and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin over the last week, as well as the National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre, the sources said.
